Keep Your Cats Happy, Reduce Litter Box Odor!

Do not be fooled. Even if the cat box is outside on the catio, there is still going to be cat stink. Even if you keep your cat box on a covered porch, in the garage or basement you need to take steps to reduce litter box odor.

It's important to keep your cats happy!

Remember, an odor free home is a happy home and a happy cat, or in my case, happy cats. I owe it to Nixie and Milo to help keep their litter box clean so they stay healthy and happy.

This post is sponsored by ARM & HAMMER™ and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about ARM & HAMMER CLUMP & SEAL™ available at PetSmart®, but I am the Maven® only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Arm & Hammer and PetSmart are not responsible for the content of this article.

Things you can do to reduce litter box odor

Make sure your cat has access to fresh water at all times. If your cat isn’t getting enough to drink, that can lead to a lot of other problems other than your stinky litter box.

Food matters. What you feed your cat does affect their waste. The better quality food, the less stinky the box is. I promise. Even canned food doesn’t always mean a stinky box. Do not keep their food next to their box. Do you eat in the bathroom?

Your choice of litter can reduce litter box odor!

Litter matters. I’m going to be honest with you here. Buy the brand your cat likes the best. Not the brand you like the best. If your cat doesn’t like their litter, they aren’t going to use their box, which is an entirely different blog post all together. You want a good odor sealing litter. Whether you choose scented or unscented is between you and your cat. But what you’ll really want to consider is a clumping litter because it’s so much easier to keep clean. ARM& HAMMER ™ CLUMP & SEAL ™ products available at PetSmart® is a good clumping litter to consider.

Speaking of cleaning. Scoop the litter box daily. If not twice a day. EVEN if your box is stashed in the basement. You don’t want to use a dirty bathroom and neither does your cat. Scooping the box often really does keep the box smelling fresh. (As fresh as a cat litter box can smell!) This is especially important if you have a multi-cat household. Using a clumping litter allows you to remove any offensive piles. In fact, if I DON’T scoop, Nixie will come and pester me. Yes, she’s that cat. She's much happier with a perfectly scooped box.

Change the litter completely at least once a week. Don’t be tempted to put a lot of litter in and only change it every few weeks. Even with a good clumping litter, the cat box stink still lingers in the box. Luckily ARM & HAMMER™ CLUMP & SEAL™ has new a new innovation called MicroGuard technology seals and destroys immediate odor, plus, prevents the growth of future bacterial odor for 7-day odor control, guaranteed.

Some people like to use a box liner. I admit I’m not a fan. My kitties have their claws, so I don’t even bother. While the box liner in theory helps keeps the box more fresh, if your cat has claws (and they should, but again, another post entirely) they’re going to shred the liner to bits anyway, creating a colossal mess.

When you change the litter, clean the box too. Replace the box about once a year. The plastic will absorb smells, even with regular scooping and cleaning. Even if you can't smell it, it's likely your cat can.

Placement of the box is important. Make sure your kitty’s litter box is in a well ventilated area. There’s mixed feelings on hooded boxes. I normally don’t care for them, since the tend to trap odors. But Nixie and Milo’s box is on their catio, and there’s lots of good air circulation - which is a really important factor when you want to reduce litter box odor.